Hospices: Finance

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospices in England received funding from his Department in the last 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs) to decide the level of funding they allocate to end of life care services, including hospices, based on assessments of local needs and priorities. The level of funding a hospice receives is a matter for negotiation between the local PCT and the hospice.
	In September 2006, the Government established a £40 million capital fund, which adult hospices were able to bid for to improve their physical environments. The funding has been made available as part of the dignity in care for older people work, although it will benefit all adult patients using hospice facilities. In April 2007, Ministers announced that 146 hospices, with 191 projects, had been allocated funding from the fund.

NHS: Drugs

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the NHS will seek reimbursement from pharmaceutical manufacturers for expenditure on ineffective select serotonin re-uptake inhibitors.

Dawn Primarolo: We have no plans to seek reimbursement from pharmaceutical manufacturers in respect of Select Serotonin re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).
	The Committee on Safety of Medicines Expert Working Group on the safety of SSRIs undertook a comprehensive review of the safety of this entire class of drugs, examining all available evidence and reviewing all the regulatory advice issued. In December 2004, it concluded that the balance of risks and benefits of all SSRIs in adults remains positive in their licensed indications; however prescribers and patients should be more aware of the side effect profile of these medicines and the need for close monitoring of patients being treated for depressive illness or anxiety disorders.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on  (a) alcohol and  (b) entertaining in the last 12 month period for which information is available.

Gareth Thomas: My Department has spent approximately £1 million on entertainment during the last 12 month period. It is not possible to separate the spend relating to alcohol from this overall figure. This spend was through its contracted service provider.
	This figure also includes hospitality booked by external bodies including other Government Departments using our conference facilities. It is not possible to separate this spend from that of BERRs.

Wines: Sales

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment the Government has made of the health effects of restricting the sale of UK-produced lower alcohol wines; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The recent change in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) methodology for estimating alcohol consumption ("Estimating alcohol consumption from survey data: improved method of converting volumes to units, ONS, November 2007") has highlighted how gradual increases in alcohol levels of wine over a period of years have contributed to increased alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom.
	The Department will launch a campaign in May 2008 to help consumers estimate their alcohol consumption in units and to understand why this matters for their own health.
	The Government believe that industry can also play an important part in helping to moderate rising alcohol levels by providing a wider range of choices for consumers. We will continue to press the European Commission to allow European Union (EU) winemakers to have greater flexibility to produce low alcohol wine, which is prevented by current EU rules. We would wish to encourage this as a socially responsible industry action in support of the National Alcohol Strategy.

A4: Heathrow Airport

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport where she plans the A4 to run in relation to Heathrow airport in proposals in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow consultation; and what assessment she has made of the security implications of the location of the road.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is expected that the routing of the A4 would be largely unaffected by the proposals in the 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport' consultation document. It is, however, expected that sections of the road would pass in tunnels underneath aeroplane taxiways between the existing airport campus and the new runway. If proposals are taken forward, further work would need to be carried out as part of a comprehensive transport assessment prior to the airport operator submitting any planning application: this would include any security implications of the location of the A4. This would be done in consultation with the Highways Agency, TfL and local authorities.

Aviation: Security

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assurances she has obtained from foreign governments whose airlines utilise armed air marshals on the co-operation by such marshals with UK police officers on aircraft on British soil.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has not sought assurances from foreign governments regarding cooperation by foreign air marshals with UK police officers. Policing at UK airports is a matter for the respective police forces and the Home Office.

Heathrow Airport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has received representations from BAA regarding a fourth runway and seventh terminal at Heathrow Airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No representations have been received.

Parking Offences: Unpaid Fines

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect on the revenue to local authorities of the non-payment of parking fines in respect of vehicles where their legal keepers by virtue of their registration are  (a) non-EEA nationals and  (b) nationals of other EU member states; if she will bring forward proposals to address the effects on revenue; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally. The enforcement of decriminalised traffic contraventions is a matter for the relevant local authorities, They are not required to provide such information to the Government.
	Enforcement of penalty charges issued to keepers of foreign registered vehicles is a Europe wide challenge that needs a Europe wide solution. The Government are awaiting an expected draft directive from the European Commission on cross border enforcement, which will include road traffic matters.
	Provisions are also included in the Local Transport Bill currently progressing through Parliament which will enable DVLA to request information from foreign registration authorities on behalf of UK authorities who wish to pursue unpaid penalties incurred by motorists in foreign registered vehicles.

Liverpool City Council: Audit

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking following the recent Audit Commission corporate assessment report into Liverpool City Council.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department is working closely with colleagues and officials in the Local Government Association, IDeA, Audit Commission, Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership, Government Office for the North West (GONW), and the city council itself, to ensure that a package of support for Liverpool is available.
	To this end, an improvement board, with external membership including GONW, IDeA, and the Audit Commission, has been set up by the city council to provide continued support and challenge. Peer support from other local government authorities is also being developed.

Public Bodies: Internet

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated cost is of  (a) establishing and  (b) maintaining the Data Interchange Hub in each of the next three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The data interchange hub project is being delivered in a phased manner, with the first production release due to go into service in April 2008. The phases beyond this have not been scoped in detail, and result estimated costs, if agreed, are not yet available. The current estimated cost up to 1 April 2008 is just under £690,000, including the costs of system development and testing, programme management, and communications with stakeholders. The annual maintenance costs are under negotiation, and the Department is efficiently and effectively re-using existing departmental systems and infrastructure to its benefit as regards both the development and maintenance costs of the system.

Enviros Consulting

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what payments have been made by  (a) his Department and  (b) WRAP to Enviros Consulting in the last 36 months; and for what purpose in each case.

Joan Ruddock: The total value of payments made by DEFRA to Enviros Consulting since 1 April 2005 is £6,426,420.53. However, due to the number of payments made, further breakdown of each project's purpose could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows each of the projects Enviros has undertaken for the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) over the last three years.
	
		
			  Project/programme  Payment (£) 
			 Communications via Local Partners (BCLF) total 73,309.59 
			 Construction (General) total 772.89 
			 Evaluation total 56,900.00 
			 Executive total 2,544.25 
			 Local Authority Support total 27,335.50 
			 Local Authority Training total 278,742.52 
			 Local Communications Fund (BCLF) total 105,233.02 
			 Manufacturing Support (Wood) total 25,378.90 
			 Organics (Added Value) total 27,148.82 
			 Organics (Building Infrastructure) total 7,461.95 
			 Organics (Promoting Compost Use) total 38,048.08 
			 Organics total 172,582.90 
			 Plasterboard total 122,805.44 
			 Policy total 21,579.93 
			 Procurement total 106,515.68 
			 Recycle at work total 15,112.25 
			 Regional Development Agency Support total 28,899.96 
			 Regional Economic Development total 152,305.20 
			 ROTATE total 69,460.49 
			 Small Medium Enterprises total 133,290.39 
			 Manufacturing Support (Wood) total 31,663.90 
			 Total 1,497,091.66

Fisheries: Inspections

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fisheries inspectors have access to VMS data and the MCSS database; which other staff have such access; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: All Marine and Fisheries Agency inspectors and operational focused administration staff have access to VMS data and the MCSS database as appropriate and in accordance with operational requirements.

Voluntary Organisations: Contracts

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what tendering process was undertaken for the contract to administer the Grassroots Grant Programme.

Phil Hope: The Community Development Foundation (CDF) was appointed as the lead national partner administering the Grassroots Grants programme under the terms of a framework agreement between CDF and Cabinet Office.
	A fair and open competitive procurement exercise in 2005, compliant with EU rules and UK Government policy and procedures, identified CDF as one of four partners to the framework agreement. These organisations can then be selected through a call-off arrangement to administer strategic and other grant programmes. The tender panel concluded that CDF should be first choice for projects that have a community interest.
	In 2007 the Office of the Third Sector issued a formal Request to Participate to CDF under the framework agreement, and CDF submitted a detailed proposal that fully demonstrated their suitability as lead national partner for Grassroots Grants.

HM Revenue and Customs Business Brief

Clive Efford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the provisions of HM Revenue and Customs Business Brief 50/07;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy not to pursue back-payment of value added tax from sports and leisure trusts under the terms of HM Revenue and Customs Business Brief 50/07.

Jane Kennedy: Representations are regularly made to Treasury Ministers and officials on a wide range of issues.
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has a statutory duty to collect VAT that has been under declared, and may assess to recover arrears of VAT where VAT was properly due but was not charged and was not paid over to HMRC.
	Although the Commissioners of HMRC may make concessions in certain circumstances, for example where administrative savings would outweigh the tax, in this instance, not collecting VAT that is properly due would be beyond what is legally permissible.
	However, the Commissioners do have discretionary power to grant extra time to pay arrears where this is appropriate in the individual circumstances of the taxpayer and consistent with the Commissioners' management of the tax. If any organisation has any difficulty in paying its arrears it should approach HMRC to ask for a time-to-pay arrangement to be considered."
	Furthermore, where evidence can be provided that an individual taxpayer has accounted for VAT incorrectly because of a bona fide misunderstanding, or because he has been misdirected by HMRC, within the terms of extra statutory concessions 3.4 and 3.5 as published in HMRC Notice 48?Extra statutory concessions, HMRC will not seek to recover arrears of the tax.

Burma: Prisoners

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has recently discussed the case of Khun Htun Oo with the Burmese military regime.

Meg Munn: U Khun Tun Oo, Leader of Shan National League for Democracy, remains in prison serving a 93-year sentence. The Government have, bilaterally and through EU and UN mechanisms, repeatedly called for the release of all political prisoners in Burma. This was a fundamental demand in the UN Presidential Statement of 11 October 2007.